Dual-function exercise device

ABSTRACT

An exercise device includes a frame with a front wheel and two rear wheels which are connected to a shaft. A driving mechanism for driving the rear wheels is connected to an operation device such as two pedals, two twist pads or an endless belt so that the exercise device is driven forward when the user operates the operation device. The driving mechanism includes a uni-direction gear mounted to the shaft, a rack having an end connected to an operation device and the other end of the rack connected to a link connected to the operation device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an exercise device that includes a driving mechanism so that the exercise device is driven and moved by the users.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional exercise devices such as treadmills or elliptical exercise devices are operated in stationary status, the users operate the exercise devices at a fixed position and usually the exercise devices are heavy and cannot be moved. Some exercise devices such as bicycles can be moved but they have a fixed operation mode which is circular operation by feet. The two types of exercises are existed in separate in the market.

The present invention intends to provide an exercise device which includes a driving mechanism that is able to be cooperated with different types of operation modes and drives the exercise device forward.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an exercise device which comprises a frame with a front wheel and two rear wheels which are connected to a shaft. A driving mechanism includes a uni-direction gear mounted to the shaft and an acceleration gear which is engaged with the uni-direction gear. A rack has an end connected to an operation device and the other end of the rack is engaged with the acceleration gear. The driving mechanism drives the front wheel or the rear wheels.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view to show the exercise device used as a climbing device;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the climbing device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view to show the exercise device used as a treadmill;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the treadmill in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view to show the exercise device used as a twist machine;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the twist machine in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the twist machine in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of another embodiment of the exercise device used as a treadmill;

FIG. 9 shows a side view of the treadmill in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a side view of another embodiment of the exercise device used as a climbing machine;

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the climbing machine in FIG. 10, and

FIG. 12 shows yet another embodiment of the exercise device used as a climbing machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the exercise device 10 of the present invention comprises a frame 15 with a front wheel 13 and two rear wheels 14 which are connected to two ends of a shaft 21, and a post 11 extends from a top of the frame 15 and a handle 12 is connected to the post 11.

A driving mechanism 20 for driving each of the rear wheels 14 includes a uni-direction gear 212 which is mounted to the shaft 21 and an acceleration gear 22 is engaged with the uni-direction gear 212. The acceleration gear 22 is connected with a uni-direction bearing 214. A rack 23 has an end connected to an operation device 16 and the other end of the rack 23 is engaged with the acceleration gear 22, so that when operating the operation device 16 to move the rack 23, each of the rear wheels 14 is driven to let the exercise device 10 move forward. The driving mechanism 20 may also be used to drive the front wheels 13. It is noted that the number of the front wheels 13 can be two. A bearing 211 or a uni-direction bearing 214 is connected between the frame 15 and the shaft 21.

Two guide wheels 24 are connected to the frame 15 and each guide wheel 24 includes two guide disks 241 on two ends thereof and the rack 23 is located between the two guide disks 241. By this way, the rack 23 is limited its direction of movement. In this embodiment, the operation device 16 is connected to an end of a link 162 and the other end of the link 162 is connected to the rack 23.

The frame 15 includes a positioning shaft 161 and the operation device 16 includes two pedals which are pivotably connected to two ends of the positioning shaft 161. Two links 162 each have a first end connected to respective one of the two ends of the positioning shaft 161, a second end of each link 162 is connected to the rack 23 corresponding thereto. Two cylinders 17 are respectively connected between the two pedals and the frame 15. A U-shaped frame 18 includes two distal ends which are connected to the links 162. When alternatively pivoting the pedals downward, the links 162 are pivoted so as to move the racks 23 to drive the rear wheels 14 to move the exercise device 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the exercise device 10 can be used as a treadmill wherein the frame 15 includes a plurality of rollers 151 and an endless belt 152 is mounted onto the rollers 151. One of the rollers 151 includes a central axle 1511 and a crank 1512 is connected to the central axle 1511 so as to be connected to the link 162. A connection board 153 is connected between the crank 1512 and the rack 23. Two guide wheels 24 are connected to the frame 15 and each guide wheel 24 includes two guide disks 241 on two ends thereof and the rack 23 is located between the two guide disks 241. In this embodiment, the operation device 16 is the endless belt 152 so that when the users moves the endless belt 152, the racks 23 are moved to drive the rear wheels 14 by the driving mechanism 20.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the embodiment of the exercise device 10 is used as a twist exercise device, wherein frame 15 includes a rotatably upright shaft 19 and the operation device 16 includes two pads 191 which are connected to the upright shaft 19 by two bars, such that the two pads 191 are pivotable about the upright shaft 19 by twisting the user's body. A driving gear 192 is connected to the upright shaft 19 and engaged with the rack 23. The rack 23 includes a first toothed section and a second toothed section, wherein the first tooted section is located at a side of the rack 23 so as to be engaged with the driving gear 192, and the second toothed section is located at a top of the rack 23 so as to be engaged with the uni-direction gear 212 on the shaft 21. When the user twists his/her body, the two pads 191 are pivoted about the upright shaft 19 so as to rotate the driving gear 192 which pulls the two racks 23 to drive the rear wheels 14.

The driving mechanism 20 can also be simplified as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 for the treadmill. The driving mechanism 20 for driving each of the two rear wheels 14 includes a uni-direction gear 212 which is mounted to the shaft 21 and a rack 23 having an end connected to an operation device 16 and the other end of the rack 23 engaged with the uni-direction gear 212, the driving mechanism 20 driving the front wheel 13 or the rear wheels 14. It is noted that there is no acceleration gear as described in FIGS. 1-7.

It is noted that the uni-direction gear 212 and the acceleration gear 22 can also be replaced with two friction rollers 215, 221 when the exercise device 10 is used as the climbing machine as disclosed in FIGS. 10 and 11.

FIG. 12 shows yet another embodiment which is a climbing machine including two pedals. The difference is that each of the two pedals is connected to the rack 231 which is a curve rack so that when the pedals are pivoted, the racks 231 drives the acceleration gears 22 to drive the rear wheels 14.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

1. An exercise device comprising: a frame with a front wheel and two rear wheels connected to a shaft, and a driving mechanism including a uni-direction gear which is mounted to the shaft, an acceleration gear engaged with the uni-direction gear, a rack having an end connected to an operation device and the other end of the rack engaged with the acceleration gear, the driving mechanism driving the front wheel or the rear wheels.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a bearing or a uni-direction bearing is connected between the frame and the shaft.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two rear wheels are connected to two ends of the shaft.
 4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame includes at least one guide wheel and the rack is restricted in the at least one guide wheel.
 5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one guide wheel includes two guide disks on two ends thereof and the rack is located between the two guide disks.
 6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation device is connected to an end of a link and the other end of the link is connected to the rack.
 7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear wheels are driven by the driving mechanism.
 8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration gear is connected with a uni-direction bearing.
 9. An exercise device comprising: a frame with a front wheel and two rear wheels connected to a shaft, and a driving mechanism including a uni-direction gear which is mounted to the shaft and a rack having an end connected to an operation device and the other end of the rack engaged with the uni-direction gear, the driving mechanism driving the front wheel or the rear wheels.
 10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein a bearing or a uni-direction bearing is connected between the frame and the shaft.
 11. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the two rear wheels are connected to two ends of the shaft.
 12. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the frame includes at least one guide wheel and the rack is restricted in the at least one guide wheel.
 13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one guide wheel includes two guide disks on two ends thereof and the rack is located between the two guide disks.
 14. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the frame includes a positioning shaft and the operation device includes two pedals which are pivotably connected to two ends of the positioning shaft, two links each have a first end connected to respective one of the two ends of the positioning shaft, a second end of each link is connected to the rack corresponding thereto, two cylinders are respectively connected between the two pedals and the frame.
 15. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the frame includes a positioning shaft and the operation device includes two pedals which are pivotably connected to two ends of the positioning shaft, two links each have a first end connected to respective one of the two ends of the positioning shaft, each of the two pedals is connected to the rack which is a curve rack, two cylinders are respectively connected between the two pedals and the frame.
 16. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the frame includes a post extending from a top thereof and a handle is connected to the post.
 17. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the frame includes a plurality of rollers and an endless belt is mounted onto the rollers, one of the rollers includes a central axle and a crank is connected to the central axle so as to be connected to the link.
 18. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein a connection board is connected between the crank and the rack.
 19. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 9, wherein the frame includes a rotatably upright shaft and the operation device includes two pads which are connected to the upright shaft by two bars, the two pads are pivotable about the upright shaft, a driving gear is connected to the upright shaft and engaged with the rack.
 20. The device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the rack includes a first toothed section and a second toothed section, the first tooted section is located at a side of the rack so as to be engaged with the driving gear, the second toothed section is located at a top of the rack so as to be engaged with the uni-direction gear on the shaft.
 21. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the uni-direction gear and the acceleration gear are replaced with two friction rollers. 